Spoink

Articleissues
advert = August 2008
inappropriate person = August 2008

Infobox Website
name = Spoink
type = Social network service
caption = Spoink logo
url = [http://www.spoink.com/ Spoink.com]
commercial = Yes
type = Multimedia Micro-blogging
language = English
registration = Required
owner = Spoink
author = [http://spoink.com/ Spoink] [cite web|accessdate=2008-05-07|url=http://spoink.com/help/aboutus|title=About Us|publisher=Spoink]
launch date = May 15, 2008

Spoink ( [http://www.Spoink.com Spoink.com] ) is a free social networking and multimedia micro-blogging service that provides telecommunication, online journals, email and social networking services to individuals and businesses. Spoink integrates Podcasting, Blogging and Telephony into a single easy to use interface with personal status updates and social networking. This service enables anyone to podcast on any phone from anywhere as well as post audio, video, pictures and text via short message service (SMS), instant messaging (IM), email or via a web browser.

Origins

Spoink, Inc. was founded in 2007 by industry veteran [http://erikbowman.spoink.com Erik Bowman] . The initial intent was to create a toll free telephony solution that converts voice messages to podcasts. Spoink originally grew out of a development project with [http://www.verticalanswer.com Vertical Answer] ), a Hosted PBX company located in Redondo Beach, California. The project quickly took on a life of its own during alpha testing as enhancements were suggested by users and were later implemented. These enhancements included support for micro-blogging as well as audio, video and picture hosting. Support for submissions via instant message, email, SMS, MMS and direct web posts were then added and over a 3 month private beta process additional refinements were implemented. On May 15, 2008 the public beta was released to the general public.

Trademark Status

The Spoink trademark was orginally applied for December 3, 2006 and was successfully registered (Registration Number 3289873) trademark [ [http://www.uspto.gov USPTO] ] since September 11, 2007

Features

Multimedia posts (Audio, Video, Pictures) can be made via Web Interface, Email, MMS and Toll Free call from most telphones.

Text posts can be up to 500 characters (nearly 100 words) and can be made via Web Interface, Email, Instant Message and SMS. Limitations on text post size is dictated by your IM or Mobile Carrier.

Tips and Tricks

You can use any telephone to create a podcast. Under Settings -> My Phone Numbers add all the phone numbers that you will be calling from (be sure check the activate check box before saving). Then you can call their toll free number (888) 8-SPOINK and press 1. Start speaking or hold your phone in the direction of the audio you wish to record. When you are done, hang up. Your podcast will be inserted into your account within 1 to 2 minutes.

UPDATE: If you send an email to [e-mail] within 5 minutes of recording your podcast, the email text (and attached picture or video clip) will be added to your podcast. The text is limited to 140 characters.

References